


Sarah

by EftoKolasi



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: And all those could entail, Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Spoilers, Panic Attacks, Please only read if youve seen the movie, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Really big spoiler, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-14
Updated: 2018-06-14
Packaged: 2019-05-23 09:27:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14931615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EftoKolasi/pseuds/EftoKolasi
Summary: ********************************************HEAVY SPOILER(S) FOR INFINITY WAR!*...but only on the inside, not the summary*******************************************Read this *ONLY* if you've seen the movie or if you don't care about spoilers.No major or minor characters mentioned, only original characters.I was thinking about how a normal, random citizen would react to the final plot point of Infinity war, and decided to write about it.If you don't want any part of the movie spoiled for you, then you should skip this at least until you've seen the movie.





	Sarah

**Author's Note:**

> AGAIN, SPOILERS!  
> I do NOT own ANYTHING Marvel, I only *wish* I did.  
> Please let me know what you think.  
> I tried to leave the tags vague in order to avoid movie spoilers in the tags, but I'll add them to the beginning of my "chapter" so no one can miss them if they're a problem.

LAST WARNING! (Read note)  
Tagged: NOT A FIX-IT | spoilers | death | confusion | panic | mass panic | MILD/NON-LIFE THREATENING self-harm: hair pulling, scratching, slapping | leading to the potential for suicidal thoughts, but no actual mention of suicide or life-threatening self-harm | crying | screaming | this one is important and difficult to tag without tagging every word in the paragraphs where it happens: main character witnessing "death" and how they might behave or what they feel after witnessing it and the graphic, detailed actions they take to try and save someone | horror | terror | potential insanity | slight anger | bleakness | sadness | emotional roller coaster | vague labelling of personal relationships | main character left vague so you can imagine whoever you want in that role | the point of this small story is to make you feel things | I both loved and hated the movie

*****************End of Tags*****************

Set on Earth

 

 

I jolted awake to the blaring of my alarm clock.  
It's cold. I try to curl in on myself and flung one hand out to shut off my alarm.  
'I'm too cold. Why am I cold?'  
My brain danced in and out of thought as the side of my face sunk further into my pillow.  
Twisting my head around, only one eye started to open, the other nearly sealed shut and crusty. The light streaming in through my window caused me to squeeze my eye shut again and I turned my face directly into my pillow.  
As I slowly woke up, I realized my bed sheet was twisted around one leg, with the comforter hanging half off the bed.

'That explains the cold.'

I half rolled, trying to sit up and untangle the sheet from my leg without looking.  
Sitting up, eyes still closed, I swung my legs over the side of the bed and rested my feet on the carpet.  
My back hunched and I started rubbing my eyes a little too roughly, causing the discomfort of sand and half-dried eye boogies to scrape against my eyeballs before i gentled my touch.  
With my eyes still closed, I stood with too much momentum. Staggering into the bathroom, my equilibrium taking it's sweet-ass time, I tilted towards the toilet, lifted the lid, and sat/fell down heavily onto the seat in the semi-dark bathroom.  
-  
Finished, I flushed and washed my hands out of habit before starting the shower. As it warmed up, I closed the bathroom door until only a sliver of light from the bedroom came peeking in. I set out my towel and checked the water.  
'Almost ready.'  
I leaned against the bathroom wall and let my brain wander.  
'Sarah.' My eyes opening slightly, I remembered why I set my alarm.  
'It's Sarah's birthday today.'  
Smiling, I checked the water again and, finding it ready, hopped in for a quick shower.  
As I went through my routine, I thought about our plans for the day.  
First, breakfast at her favorite little hole-in-the-wall. Then, the best kind of shopping: picking up the new puppy Sarah wanted.  
An older couple had bought it as a surprise for their grandson, unbeknownst to the parents. Needless to say, the boy's parents weren't too happy about that, so now they were trying to sell it.  
Sarah stumbled across the online ad, took one look at the puppy's photo, and that was it. She had to have it.  
After we got the puppy, we'll be going straight to the pet store, and we'll spend the rest of the day playing, potty training, crate training, and some beginner obedience training, only stopping to order chinese and maybe watch a movie.  
'I bet she falls asleep on the couch with the puppy tuckered out on her chest.'  
By now I've finished cleaning, so I got out of the shower, towelled off and--still naked--walked back into the bedroom to get dressed.  
Fully awake, my eyes are now wide open and accustomed to the light.  
I hummed to myself as I got ready, and thought about Sarah's smile when she holds the puppy for the first time.

~

After breakfast, we're driving down the road, well into the two hour drive to pick up the puppy, when Sarah asks to stop at the next gas station.  
"I need to pee," is the first thing she's said that isn't "Drive faster" or "I'm so excited, aren't you excited?"

I took the next exit and pulled into the first station I saw.  
Sarah could barely contain herself, bouncing and squirming in her seat, equal parts needing to pee and wanting to hurry up and hold the puppy already.

I waited in the car, listening to the local radio station, tapping my fingers on the steering wheel to the beat of a new pop song.  
Ten minutes later she came back carrying a paper bag.  
"I bought some water bottles and a small empty cup, so we can have something to drink ourselves."  
"And the cup?" I ask.  
"Redneck waterbowl," she said with a bright smile.  
I grin back at her, amused and pleased by her obvious good mood.  
"Well, get in, woman, and let's get this show on the road!" I said with a laugh.

~

The little boy threw a fit when Sarah tried to take the puppy from the pen, and the mother took him inside so he wouldn't have to watch.  
'Why was he out here in the first place when it was obvious he already loved that thing?'  
I couldn't help the thought, but I didn't say anything to the father.  
'Whatever, not my kid.'  
The drive back was filled with twice as much wiggling and endless cooing

~

"It's so tiny!"  
"It'll get bigger, I'm sure."  
Sarah was nearly beside herself when we get to the pet store. She held the puppy in her arms as we walked up and down every aisle twice, just to be sure we didn't miss anything important.  
After spending only half the money originally set aside for "first day" purchases--talking Sarah out of two kennels and extra sets of leash/collar combos was the hardest thing in the world--we walked back out to the car. My arms full of crap, I loaded up the car while Sarah walked the puppy on its new leash and cute little harness.  
I somehow managed to fit everything into the trunk without breaking anything.  
Closing the trunk, I looked up when Sarah leaned against the car with a weird look on her face.  
"You ok?"  
"Yeah, I just...I dont.." she trailed off a put a hand over her chest, rubbing absentmindedly at her sternum.  
I knew something was really wrong when the leash slipped from her hand.  
I lunged for her right as she started falling, tipping sideways. I grabbed her before she could fully lose her balance and opened the front passenger side door, helping her down into the seat. The puppy was nearby, I could hear it snuffling around me, but most of my focus was on Sarah.  
"What's wrong, are you sick? Do you want some water?"  
'Maybe it's the heat. The heat, the excitement, maybe it was too much too fast.'  
I grabbed the puppy from where it'd wrapped it's leash around one of the tires and hurriedly plopped it in the backseat over Sarah's shoulder.  
I quickly walked around the car to the driver's seat, opened the door, leaned in and turned on the car. AC full blast, I turned to Sarah and saw her door still open.  
As I leaned over her and pulled it shut, she started to speak.  
"I d-don't feel...so good..." she began to list to the side.

~

It started with her right shoulder.  
At first, I couldn't comprehend what was happening.  
'Am I suffering from heat stroke? I didn't think it was that hot out...'  
"Sarah?" She didn't respond, too busy looking at her hand.  
I followed to where she was looking, and realized that wasn't true.  
She was looking at where her hand _used_ to be.  
The... _bits_ of her went fluttering further into the car, like hundreds of teeny little butterflies. That's when it registered that her window was down a little, allowing the light breeze to...to...  
My mind stuttered to a halt, trying to protect itself.  
Sarah's face was a mask of confusion, slowly morphing into panic.  
I started to reach out to her, still numbly watching her disappear.  
'That's not right...she's still here. Just...less here.'  
"I'm-" her words cut off as-- _it_ spread to her face.  
And then what started slow seemed to pick up speed now that her brain was scattered. It moved from her face down her neck and met the newly dissolved left leg at her waist.

And then she was gone. Sort of.  
Unable to process, I stared, wide-eyed and unblinking, at the ashes and dust on the seat next to me.  
Finally, my brain started to catch up.  
Like Sarah slowly dissolving in front of me, my mind quickly picked up speed.

"S-" I tried to say her name, but the breeze blew through her open window, picking up the particles of Sarah and blowing them into my _face_.  
Like being doused in ice water, my entire being woke up, and that's when I started screaming.  
Once I'd started, I couldn't stop. Cars were crashing in the streat, I could hear people crying out, more screams, a woman sobbing somewhere, but all I could do as my mind fractured was wipe at my face and clothes, screaming and scrambling for the door handle.  
'I can't. I can't. Sarah. _SARAH_!'  
My hands and knees hit the parking lot as I retched. Over and over again, until all that was left was bile. Snot running from my nose, eyes watering, wordless screams ripped from my throat as a hot puddle of food, water and stomach acid spread around my hands and slipped towards my knees.  
I didn't see the... _it_ on my skin, but I could _feel_ it. Like a powder, an ashy flour, stuck to my arms and face.  
I started slapping at my skin.  
'getitoffgetitoffgeTITOFFGETITOFF!'  
My nails dug in, scraping the goopy bits off my face, clinging like a mud mask where vomit and tears soaked my cheeks and mouth, mixing like cement.  
I ran my fingers through my hair in a panic, crying and screaming gibberish, yanking a chunk out In my efforts to clean it.  
Movement in the corner of my eye drew my attention back to the car. The wind had picked up again, and with my door open, the air flow was sending all the dust out into the world, scattering it.  
"SARAH!" I screamed and whirled around as fast as my now weak body could manage. I plunged back into the car and frantically began scooping every bit of dust, ash and skin cells I could into a pile on the front seat.  
Whimpering from the back seat drew my attention for a moment, but my hands continued their fumbling as I barely registered the puppy-- _'oh god, Sarah'_ \--cowering in the floorboard.  
The broken and cut open pieces of my mind could only focus on getting Sarah to a hospital.  
'They can fix her. It'll be ok. The doctors will put her back together'  
Even as I thought it, my tears dripped down into the meager pile I'd made, leaving dark spots.  
As I stared into the dust pile, my movements slowed and my mind started slipping from blind panic back into horror, but then shot past it into pain and disbelief.  
I couldn't touch the...stuff...on the seat anymore. I couldn't bear it.  
'How? How did this happen?'  
I turned my face away, unable to even look at it anymore.  
'Not it. _her. SARAH_.'

Overwhelming grief struck, and I folded in on myself.  
Partially collapsed against the steering wheel, I just sat there and _felt_.  
It wasn't until another car came flying through the parking lot, tires squealing, rear end clipping my car as it careened around a corner. The blow--slight as it was--smacked my head sideways against the window as the car shifted at an angle, jarringly stopped against the shopping cart return.  
Dazed, emotionally exhausted and reeling with disbelief, I finally lost consciousness.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think. I'm trying to get better at details/descriptions.  
> Also, let me know if you notice a typo or grammar error anywhere. I typed this all up on my cell phone and proof-read it twice, but I'm sure I missed something.  
> I hope you enjoyed it, at least a little bit. Either way, thanks for reading!


End file.
